Book Review: "Love Finds You in Hope, Kansas" by Pamela Griffin

Summary from BN.com: Fashionable Easterner Alison Stripling is shocked to receive a letter from her deceased sister's husband in Hope, Kansas, pleading for help with his six children. The letter gives Alison a chance to escape her troubles in Boston, and the name of the town seems like a sign from God. But when she arrives at a rustic cabin on the prairie, she's in for a bigger shock: Rafe Munroe didn't write the letter at all! Realizing the children are determined to pair them off, Rafe and Alison join forces to prove the idea would never work. Can Hope's cupids - all six of them - strike love's arrows into the hearts of their pa and Miss Alison?

If you're looking for a nice, sweet and simple historical romance then this book is it. This is one of the better Love Finds You books that have been published recently. It's a simple plot, but everything just flows together. The characters are believable and have good chemistry. Amy is Boston but she's not snobby. Rafe has a Bostonian background as well but as his was not in high society he's found it easier to fit in in the prairie.

Both characters have to deal with getting over the loss of shared loved one before they can move on. Alison is trying to adjust from the higher class upper bringing she's been used to and adapt to prairie life. She also has to overcome the feelings of dislike she had as a child for Rafe after he married her sister. Meanwhile Rafe is still getting over the loss of his wife and has essentially held her memory on a pedestal. He tries to get Alison to go along with his plan of her moving away but soon finds out he needs her. I'd say the biggest plus is how the children are portrayed. They aren't annoying, misbehaving brats but neither are they perfect angels. They are normal kids who just want the best for their father and aunt and I really appreciated this.

Even though the story is predictable, I never once felt it to be boring or overdrawn. Sometimes just a nice sweet simple love story is all you need to refresh yourself. It's not high quality literary fiction but it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon reading a good love story and left me feeling very pleasant.

Love Finds You in Hope, Kansas by Pamela Griffin is published by Summerside Press (2010)

This review copy was provided by the author